Page 6

Ruugar

“ S o you haven't seen her?” My brother, Dungar, asked.

We stood on my back porch. He'd come knocking, but instead of inviting him inside like I usually would, I'd joined him on the sunny deck.

It was going to be hot today. I could feel sweat beading on my face already.

He'd explained about the scandal, how the bride of our town's very first wedding had run away, how angry the groom was, and how determined he and the bride's father were to find her.

I trusted my brother. He'd never force Beth to return to town and her groom, especially if we told him how horrible the man was to Beth.

But I didn't trust her father or fiancé not to find a way to force her to go with them.

I had to keep her hidden until they gave up and went away.

Then I could help her settle in a place where she'd feel safe .

Not with me. Never with me. She deserved to find the freedom she'd sought all her life.

“A woman?” I peered around like I expected to see one appear in the sorhox pasture adjacent to my barn. “Can’t say that I have.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

“You’re sure?” His probing gaze met mine.

I kept mine neutral. “No, why would I?”

“Well… Tark and Gracie were outside the barn and they swear they saw her and then you.”

Damn. Wincing, I shrugged. “Wasn’t me.”

I didn’t like to be dishonest with my brother, but I would not let anyone know she was hiding here with me.

“It's the oddest thing.” He sighed. “I'd swear when Aunt Inla gave them the tour that she was as eager to marry as Bradley, but unless she's been goat-napped…” He frowned. “No, goat’s not the right word.” His eyes lit up.

“ Kid- napped. That's the term. Humans use the oddest words, don't you think? They call their own younglings kids, but they also call a goat’s children the same term as well. And what does a nap have to do with stealing someone away?”

“Never understood it myself.” I wanted to go inside and make sure Beth was alright. I’d been up a bit, made breakfast, but she hadn’t stirred.

What if she’d run again? She’d acted like she was going to stay with me for a few days but maybe that had been pretend, and she’d climbed out my bedroom window the moment she’d shut the door last night. I wanted to smack my head for not thinking of it, but Dungar would notice and ask questions .

I needed to get inside and make sure she was still with me. I didn't want to stand in the sun and sweat, let alone find myself in a position where I'd have to lie to my older brother any more than I already had.

“We've looked everywhere,” Dungar said. “If Gracie and Tark hadn't seen her slip out the barn's side window and run, we'd be more worried.”

Had they seen me? I couldn’t ask.

“I imagine she had a ride arranged,” he said. “That she's far from here already.”

“Is her family still in town, looking for her?”

He nodded. “They're quite determined. For some reason, they think she's hiding around here somewhere. I've told him that none of us would do such a thing.”

“Who’d want to do something like that?” Me, actually. My skin crawled from the near lie.

“Anyway, I didn't stop by only for that,” Dungar said. “I wanted to make sure you were ready to go, that you didn't need anything from me before you left.”

“Go?” This time, I did smack my forehead with my palm.

“That's right. the first, week-long trail ride is leaving today at noon.” How had I forgotten?

I was supposed to lead it. Four tourists, plus me.

Riding the trails and camping and cooking in the open air.

It sounded like work to me, not a relaxing holiday, but what did I know.

Human activities were as strange as their words.

“Are you alright, brother?” Dungar asked, studying my face. “You look kind of pale. Do you want Aunt Inla to come out and take a look at?— ”

“No!” I lowered my voice and splayed my fingers wide to relax them.

“No. I feel fine. Just stayed up too late last night, um…watching those streaming videos you suggested.” Dungar was convinced we could figure out how to be authentic cowboys if we watched streaming images of the Wild West from long ago.

I was less convinced. Dungar also believed there were real clues in the cowboys' behavior that could be used to woo a human mate.

Maybe I should watch a few of those streaming images. They might help me with Beth.

Except… It was sinking in that I didn’t stand a chance with this woman. She was not only beautiful, but she also came from a life far above mine, one I couldn’t offer.

I was a plain old orc cowboy. Yes, I worked at Lonesome Creek, and I took pride in my job.

I’d share in the profits once they started coming in.

And if I chose, I could return to the orc kingdom and collect all the gold nuggets I wanted since they lay on the ground almost everywhere. Wealth wasn’t the issue.

But I lived in a small ranch house. I wrangled sorhoxes during the day and likely snored at night. Beth was accustomed to living a far better life than what I could offer here, even if she deigned to look at me as if she actually wanted me for something other than protection.

“I'll be ready to go at noon.” I'd find a way.

“Good,” he said.

What was I going to do with Beth?

I could leave her here and make sure she had plenty of food. If she stayed inside and didn't turn on the lights at night, and if she made no sounds and hid the fact that she was here, they might not find her.

Or they could, and I wouldn't be here to protect her. The thought of them taking her, forcing her to be with a male she didn't love gutted me.

I didn't dare ask Dungar to watch out for her. It would be wrong to endanger any of my brothers.

Dungar swatted at a bug buzzing around his head, hitting and nearly dislodging his cowboy hat instead. He straightened it and looked at me squarely. “Can I come inside? The bugs are horrible. I won’t stay long.”

“I…” How could I tell him that Beth was asleep in my bed—my bed! Assuming she hadn’t run.

But I couldn’t tell him that she’d run away from her wedding, and I’d rescued her.

That I’d told her I’d keep her safe. He’d understand, especially if I showed him the mating mark on my wrist. But her wedding was the first we’d held here and on our opening day.

More than anyone, Dungar wanted this venture to succeed.

I imagined Gracie and Tark were doing all they could to make sure upcoming guests weren't horrified about the failed event.

Gracie was our PR person and Tark helped her.

They'd done amazing things to build our Lonesome Creek brand already.

This could set us back. Even more, me helping her escape and hiding her inside my house would add a complication I didn't know how to deal with.

But I would not let them take her. I'd fight to the death to protect her.

“You can't come in,” I blurted out. I didn't dare risk Beth strolling down the hall or even into the living room. Though, if she heard voices, she might hide. Assuming she was there. I had to get inside and find out!

Dungar would see that I'd slept on the sofa.

I hadn't tidied up in there yet, and blankets were strewn everywhere.

The sofa was orc-sized, but it wasn't made for an orc to sleep on.

My feet had hung off the end, and my blanket kept slipping off all night.

Still, I was happy to think of Beth sleeping comfortably in my bed even if I kept dreaming of her inviting me to join her.

“Why not?” Dungar asked, frowning at the closed door behind me.

“It's messy.”

His low laugh rang out. “It's always messy. I can't imagine why you don't have everything organized and tidied.”

Because that was his thing, not mine.

He swatted at a bug buzzing around his head, hitting and nearly dislodging his cowboy hat in the process. “Well, I guess I understand why you wouldn't want me of all orcs seeing the inside of your house. I promise I won’t start putting things in neat rows for you.”

“I appreciate that, Dungar.”

“So let me in.” He smacked his neck. “The bugs are going to pick me up and carry me away to feast on me at their leisure.”

“I can’t.”

“You know I don't judge you at all for how you keep your own home. ”

There was my brother again, kindness itself.

“Do you have all the staff you need for the ride?” he asked, smacking a bug on his right thigh.

“I…” I stopped before telling him I'd hired someone to help, but they'd recently quit.

I'd gone through the other applications but there hadn't been any I thought would fit, and I'd decided to handle things myself on this first trail ride with the intention of posting the job position again when I got back.

Better to do it all myself than hire someone who'd mess things up.

Maybe I wouldn’t need to handle it alone.

“I hope you were able to find someone good,” Dungar said.

“I hired a young human male.”

“How young?”

“He's an adult, and he's…slim. Tiny for his, um, age.”

“Size doesn't matter as long as he does a good job washing the dishes and helping keep our guests happy. At least this first group is small.”

We'd purposefully kept it that way, deciding we could evaluate how it went after we’d returned and made changes before we expanded the group.

Only four tourists would go on the ride this time with the intention of eight or so when we were at full speed.

We wanted to establish a cozy, intimate atmosphere, and that couldn’t be done with a large group. Not with only me and one assistant.

Before we expanded, we’d have to build more cabins, but my brothers, Ostor and Greel, had plans to do that soon .

“Alright, sounds good,” my brother said, smacking a bug that had landed on his face. “I should go.” He scowled at my back door. “Since your house is too messy to invite me in.”

“Some other time?”

His irritation faded as fast as it had risen. My brother never stayed mad at anyone for long.

“The new guy will work out fine,” I said as he strolled over to his sorhox and leaped onto its back.

“Good job, Ruugar. I’m proud of you.”

I struggled not to cringe. Would he be proud if he knew what I’d done? Probably not.

I waited until he’d ridden away before bolting inside, hoping Beth was still here.

If she was, I needed to convince “him” to join in on my spontaneous plan.